Saturday, October 17

Russia: six men jailed for torturing gay teens and threatening them with death

Six members of Occupy Paedophilia - a Russian group that threatens gay teenagers and expose them online – were jailed, and three more received a suspended sentence. The infamous group used to trick teenagers into going on ‘dates’ only to capture them and take them to an apartment or a forest, where the victims would be humiliated and tortured while being recorded on video. Many of those clips were later shared on social media, exposing the gang’s victims to further humiliation.
Nine members of the group were involved in at least 19 attacks against gay teens. They were found guilty of death threats, torture and causing ‘moderate damage to health.’ Charges for participating in an ‘extremist group’, though, were dismissed.

Sunday, October 18

“I will not allow people to persecute any individuals,” Kenyan president says

President Uhuru Kenyatta declared “witch hunts” against gay people will not be allowed in Kenya, because “every individual has a right to be protected under the law.” Questioned about the issue of the human rights of LGBTI people during an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, Kenyatta said he “will not allow people to persecute any individuals, or beat them, or torture them.” When reminded that homosexuality is still criminalized in the country, Kenyatta explained: “I am talking about witch hunts. We won't allow people to take the law into their own hands and harass.” In his opinion, though, “the majority in our society do not wish to legalize this issue of gay rights (sic).”

Australia: study unveils discrimination faced by older trans people

An Australian study of the experiences of older trans people revealed that many have experienced a lifetime of discrimination and violation of their human rights. Fifteen persons were interviewed for the investigation, and many of them recall being refused medical care, being kicked out of their jobs and being forced to undergo psychiatric and surgical procedures.
“We know that trans people who are growing older often encounter new kinds of discrimination,” Victorian minister of Equality Martin Foley said. “This has to change: everyone deserves to be treated with dignity at every stage of their life. Ageing trans people should not be forced back in the closet.”

Monday, October 19

World Medical Association: “Everyone has the right to determine their own gender”

The World Medical Association approved new guidelines to help physicians increase their knowledge and sensitivity regarding trans people and the health issues they face. These guidelines, which reject any form of coercive treatment, were presented at the WMA General Assembly in Moscow, during which the association emphasised that “everyone has the right to determine their own gender” and that “gender incongruence is not in itself a mental disorder.”
Delegates said they were aware of the cultural sensitivities in some parts of the world about this issue, but also made clear it was important for the WMA to stress that cultural, political or religious considerations must not take precedence over the rights, health and well-being of trans people.

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Wednesday, October 21

United States: LGBT prison inmates more likely to be victim of abuses, study finds

"Coming out of concrete closets", a report on Black and Pink LGBTQ prisoner survey

Armenia: activist faces threats after first national LGBT forum

More than 40 persons took part in the first ever Armenian LGBT forum, which aimed at building a community movement in the country. Unfortunately, the very successful meeting did not come without backlash: after an article about the forum went online, showing the faces of some of the participants, a storm of hate was generated both on social media and in real life, PINK Armenia reports. One of the persons involved in the meeting, for example, was followed by a man and threatened. “Viruses like you should be burnt. We will find you and destroy you all, one by one,” the man yelled at her, before she could run away.

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Thursday, October 22

Chile celebrates the country’s first civil unions

This Thursday will be remembered as the day when the law on civil unions came into force in Chile: officials said 1,600 couples had already signed up to register their unions. The government assured extra staff would have been in place to ensure the first unions could go ahead despite a strike by registrars about an unrelated matter.
Co-habiting partners who register under the new law will be able to claim pension benefits and inherit property if their partner dies. “Today Chile takes a step towards a more egalitarian society,” Fundaciòn Iguales

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will issue an executive order banning discrimination against trans people. "It will apply to all people, all businesses, all facilities – be they public or private – and employment, housing, public accommodations and credit."

Micro Rainbow International launched a crowdfunding platform to help LGBTI persons set up small income generating activities and become financially independent. Projects in support of people from Cambodia, Syria, Uganda and Brazil have already started.

In Japan, the ministry of Education said he plans to promote “support for sexual-minorities students” in schools.

More government representatives: in Australia, assistant minister for Multicultural affairs Concetta Fierravanti-Wells said that supporting marriage equality “could place under threat some of our most marginal seats.”

In Genoa, Italy, a parish bulletin circulated in which homosexuality got compared to necrophilia and kleptomania, and was defined as “an aberration.”

In Germany, the Baden-Württemberg chapter of the AFD party is set to vote on a proposal according to which books ‘relativizing the family’ should be banned from state schools.